URUGUAY AT THE VIII DEFENSE MINISTERIAL OF THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000454 SIPDIS PM FOR JEFF BURNETT E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2018 TAGS: ECON MARR MOPS PGOV PREL UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY AT THE VIII DEFENSE MINISTERIAL OF THE AMERICAS REF: STATE 83680 Classified By: Ambassador Frank E. Baxter for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Reftel asked WHA posts to report on host country attendees, objectives, and relevant issues for the VIII Defense Ministerial of the Americas (DMA),scheduled for September 2-6 in Alberta, Canada. The following information was obtained by Embassy's DAO, which is forwarding a more detailed response via separate channels. ¶2. (U) Attendees: The Uruguayan delegation will consist of Minister of Defense Dr. Jose Bayardi, his naval aide Capitan Hugo de Barros (Note: both individuals attended the conference in 2006),and Capitan Andres Gubidosi, the Ministry of Defense's public relations officer. ¶3. (C) Objectives and Issues: The Uruguayan delegation would like a bilateral meeting (formal or informal) to foster increased cooperation and build on Minister Bayardi's successful July 2008 visit to the U.S., which included a meeting with Secretary of Defense Gates. Uruguay has indicated its unease regarding the proposed South America Defense Council, and believes that fora such as the DMA are the proper venues for discussions on military cooperation. The GOU has expressed its desire to see a harmonious conference and its wariness of last-minute attempts to introduce initiatives or declaration language that would be controversial or otherwise disruptive. As an example, the GOU expects that Argentina will propose language -- purportedly to strengthen civilian control of militaries -- that will call for countries to select as ministers of defense only individuals with no prior military service. Baxter